Cowboys Dalvin Cook says he is ‘ready to go’ and help the team
Only with the Dallas Cowboys can there be so much media coverage for a running back on the practice squad. On August 28, the Cowboys signed veteran Dalvin Cook to their practice squad, where he’s been since the start of the season.
When he signed with Dallas, head coach Mike McCarthy mentioned that Cook would need time to acclimate to the offense and learn its vocabulary. Time has passed, and the conversation around Cook’s eventual elevation is starting to heat up, with the current Dallas backfield struggling to find its stride.
Ezekiel Elliott is currently the only running back to not register a carry of ten or more yards with a minimum of 14 carries. It’s probably not what the front office hoped for when Elliott re-signed with Dallas.
However, in Elliott’s defense, the Cleveland Browns have a dominant defense, and the team fell so far behind the New Orleans Saints that the offense had to abandon its run game. This is something that McCarthy echoed during his press conference on Wednesday.
Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys need more attempts at running back with their running back by committee before truly accessing their running game with Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. It doesn’t appear Dalvin Cook is in the plan just yet
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) September 18, 2024
Cook may not be in the offensive plans yet, but that doesn’t mean the four-time Pro Bowl running back isn’t ready to show he’s worthy of the opportunity. When speaking to Clarence Hill Jr. on Wednesday, Cook was candid about where things stand regarding his readiness to play.
Also talked to Dalvin Cook today. He said is ready to go. He is good with the offense and has been doing his thing with the scout team. He believes he can help the Cowboys. But he is keeping his mouth shut and biding his time. He said the Cowboys have told him nothing.
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) September 18, 2024
When Cook decided to sign with the Cowboys this offseason, playing again for Mike Zimmer sounded enticing. However, he also saw a role for him to help the team win and contribute in any way possible.
“Obviously, I feel like this is a great opportunity for me to come in and help a great organization, [and] win football games” Cook said in an interview last month on the team website. “And as I look around and I look at the running back room, it’s a bunch of guys in there that I can go in there and run the football with. Obviously Zeke, Rico, you know, you got Deuce in the room, it’s some guys that I could go help out and push those guys and we can be a great room together.”
Unfortunately for Cook, this weekend’s game against his former Baltimore Ravens team doesn’t look it will be his first game of the season. McCarthy isn’t the only one who hinted that we won’t see Cook on Sunday.
Owner Jerry Jones echoed McCarthy during an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday. The Cowboys practice squad player found out about the news from social media rather than anyone mentioning it to him.
Interestingly enough, Cook said he found he wasn’t playing this week from social media comments about Jerry Jones making the announcement on the radio on the Tuesday.
Suffice it to say, Cook got a crash course on life with the Dallas Cowboys and their media friendly owner https://t.co/96W2d1zdX8— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) September 18, 2024
If Dallas can’t get production from their current rotation of Elliott, Dowdle, and Vaughn, there might not be an excuse left for the team justifying Cook sitting on the practice squad. After Sunday’s matchup against Baltimore, the Cowboys travel to play the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.
When he was with the Minnesota Vikings, Cook played the Giants twice in the regular season, rushing for 196 yards off 35 touches and an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Maybe if the Cowboys decide Cook is ready to go on a short week, he can recapture that production in his Dallas debut.